Car-coupling.



l. H. MILLIKEN.

CAR COUFLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. I914.

Patented July 27, 1915.

A an s'rnrns rarnu'r orrron ISAAC H. MILLIKEN, OF ASPINWALL, PENNSYIIVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MGCONWAY & 'IORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, FENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC H. Mm KEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aspinwall, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

My invention relates to the construction of car couplers of the vertical plane type, and more especially to such as are primarily designed for application to locomotive tenders.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a simple, strong and eilicient tender coupler in which the coupler head may be readily adjusted to different heights and may be maintained in each of its several'adjusted positions without drooping or saggmg.

the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims, Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal'section, of a tender coupler embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but illustrating the adjusting shims in a different relation. Fig. 3 is a'sectional planview, taken on the line 33, Fig. 1..

2 the coupler and 3 the pivot pin by which the pocket member and coupler are connected.

The recess or pocket in the member 1 for receiving the stem of the coupler 2 is of a vertical dimension sufficient to simultaneously accommodate the stem of the coupler and the number of shims 4 that it is desired to employ. In the present instance two shims are shown, such number having been found sufficient to permit the coupler 2 to have a range of vertical adjustment that is ample for all usual conditions of service.

The upper and lower walls of the coupler pocket, which preferably lie in horizontal planes, are formed by the perforated flange members 5 and 6, respectively, through which the pivot pin 3 passes. The lateral walls of the pocket, which for convenience are made similar, are preferably formed with upper and lower, longitudinally disposed faces 7 and 8, respectively, that are in the same vertical plane, the faces-7 and 8 upon the same side of the pocket'being preferably separated by an angularly disposed vertical face 9 which serves to limit the lateral swinging of the coupler 2 in one direction, as will be readily understood. As shown more particularly in Fig. 4, theangularly disposed faces 9 converge inwardly toward the cylindrical inner face 10of the pocket member 1. At the inner ends of the upper vertical faces 7 are shoulders or stops 11 which constitute means for maintaining the proper longitudinal position of the shims 4 when the latter are arranged above the shank of the coupler 2. At the inner ends of the lower vertical faces 8 are corresponding shoulders or stops 12 which similarly serve to maintain the proper longitudinal position of the shims 4 when the latter are arranged beneath the shank of the coupler. As will be noted, the shoulders orstops 11 and 12 are not in vertical alinement, but are so positioned with respect to each other that the lower stops 12 are somewhat in advance of the upper stops 11 or nearer the mouth of the coupler-receiving pocket. By this relative arrangement of the parallel lateral faces 7 and 8 and the stops 11 and 12 on the interior of the pocket member 1, the shims 4 are firmly supported laterallv and are prevented from retreating Y longitudinally when occupying their upper positions as well as when occupying their more advanced positions beneath the coupler shank.

The adjusting shims 4, either or both of which may be placed within the pocket of the member 1 above or below the shank of the coupler as occasion may require, are preferably slotted or bifurcated at their inner ends, as indicated at 18, so as to permit them to embrace or straddle the pivot pin 3 both when in their upper, inner positions and when in their lower, forward positions. Each of the shims is likewise provided with shoulders or stops 14 which are adapted to engage the corresponding stops 11 and 12 on the interior of the pocket member 1, and each of said shims is also preferably formed with parallel, longitudinally extending lateral faces 15 which correspond with and are adapted to abut against the upper and lower lateral faces 7 and 8, respectively, of the pocket member 1. The forward edges of the shims 4 are preferably curved so as to permit a long shim to be used and yet allow suflicient clearance to enable the coupler 2 to swing freely upon its pivot pin 3.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings the rear face 16 of the striking bracket of the coupler 2 has been availed of as a means for preventing the forward longitudinal movement of the shims 4 when the latter are arranged above the shank of the coupler. This will be readily understood upon an inspection of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. As a means for preventing the forward longitudinal movement of the shims i when placed in their lower positions, a downwardly extending bracket 17 on the under side of the coupler head may be conveniently employed.

I claim:

1. The combination of a member having a pocket therein, a coupler, means for at taching the coupler to the pocket member, a shim adapted to be received by the pocket of said pocket member in either of a plurality of positions differing in vertical height and vertical alinement, and means independent of said pocket member for maintaining said shim in said pocket.

2. The combination of a member having a pocket therein, a coupler, means for attaching the coupler to the pocket member, a shim adapted to be received by the pocket and to occupy a plurality of positions therein, and means independent of said pocket member for maintaining said shim in said pocket, said pocket member and shim being provided with engaging means for limiting longitudinal movement of said shim, the shim limiting means of the pocket member being arranged in a plurality of different vertical planes.

3. The combination with a coupler, of a member having a pocket therein which is provided with longitudinally extending lateral faces and with stop shoulders which are in a plurality of vertical planes, a shim extending laterally beyond the shank of the coupler on opposite sides thereof and having parallel lateral edges and being adapted to engage said stop shoulders, means for attaching the coupler to the pocket member, and means for maintaining said shim in said pocket, said stop shoulders serving to limit longitudinal movement of the shim in one direction and said coupler being provided with means for preventing longitudinal movement of the shim in the opposite direction.

4. The combination with a member having a pocket therein and upper and lower flanges, the lower flange extending forwardly beyond the upper one, of a coupler, means for attaching the coupler to the pocket member, a shim adapted to be received by said pocket, means on the head of said coupler for maintaining said shim in the upper portion of said pocket, and means on the head of said coupler for maintaining said shim in an advanced position in the lower portion of said pocket.

5. The combination with a member having a pocket therein which is provided with longitudinally extending parallel lateral faces and with angularly extending faces which are interposed between said parallel faces, and which is also provided with stop shoulders which are arranged in a plurality of vertical planes, of a coupler, a pivot pin for attaching said coupler to said pocket member, and a shim adapted to be received by the pocket and to occupy a plurality of positions therein, said shim being slotted to embrace said pivot pin and being provided with shoulders adapted to engage the stop shoulders of said pocket member and being formed with parallel lateral edges.

6. A member for tender couplers employing adjusting shims for varying the height of the coupler head, said member having a pocket adapted to receive a shim in either of a plurality of positions which differ in vertical height and vertical alinement, and being provided with outwardly divergent faces and with parallel longitudinally extending faces above and below the same and being provided with a plurality of means for limiting longitudinal movement of a shim, said limiting means consisting of shoulders formed above and below said divergent faces of the pocket member and being arranged in different vertical planes, and said member also having upper and lower flanges, the lower flange projecting forwardly beyond the upper one.

7. The combination of a member having a pocket therein, a coupler, means for attaching the coupler to the pocket member, a shim adapted to be received by said pocket, and means on the head of said coupler for preventing the escape of said shim from the pocket when the parts are in assembled position.

8. The combination of a member having a pocket therein, a shim which is adapted to be assembled in said pocket, at coupler, and means for attaching said coupler to said pocket member, said pocket member operating to limit longitudinal movement of said 10 shim in one direction only and said coupler being provided With means for preventing the escape of said shim from the pocket When the parts are in assembled position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ISAAC H. MILLIKEN. Witnesses J. W. HARTLEY, J. H. STRAssER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

